KIPP DC - Grow Academy PCS

This school has caused great harm to my child. If your child needs special services, I would recommend you to go to this school. But if your child wants to grow up happily and study safely in school, you should make a careful decision.

This is the worse school year for Walker jones 2021-2022. I don't know what is in the water ,but this school is not the same within the previous years of my children attending there. I mean the teacher turnover is the worse and i never seen that before. Its to the point where a teacher come and then in the next month they are gone. Every-time I turn around a teacher is leaving because they can't control the children there or they just can't deal with how the staff is being treated with limited resources. There been fights after fights left to right with the children and people coming up to the school to jump them or fights in the bathrooms. No resources for the children or anything or any after school activities activities( Art Club,Chess Club,Beyond The Bell). Granted they have Saturday School, but what children come to that? And of course a basketball team but thats every school. But what about those who want another outlet? I do give credit to the teachers who are there for the children and trying their best to come together for the children, but they can't do it all alone. I really miss the old days of Walker Jones. It was more parent and teacher involvement. They use to have Girls On The Run,Girl Scouts and even a School Garden that is now overgrown and just sitting there. The children in there are going crazy because they are bored with no resources at all and no one not even the principle is doing anything. I don't know if the budget is low because enrollment or what. But they need to fix it before they lose more children and shutdown for good. I just know my children will no longer being attending. Which is sad they been there since Headstart and this is the lowest this school ever been.

Wonderful school and lovely community. Spanish immersion program. The teaching is high quality and they are very serious about developing strong readers. Many families are under-resourced, and the staff, faculty, and PTO go out of their way to meet all students’ needs and ensure they get special opportunities. The biggest challenge is getting DCPS and the City of DC to address recurring infrastructure needs within the school and in the surrounding community.

Our 2nd grader has gone to Garrison since kindergarten and we cannot say enough good things about the school. From the principal to even the security, everyone is engaged with the students. The principal is a constant presence and knows all the students. There is a sustained effort to communicate with the parents. We feel like the faculty is invested in our child's education. Highly recommend.

I have 2 kids at MV. Overall a great school. The location/area is the biggest "issue". So many incidents occur around the school. The staff do go above and beyond to ensure the kids safety during lock-downs. Most teachers are great and the new Admin have made great improvements to the school. The Spanish language component is a plus. More resources are needed for kids that enter the school at a higher grade with no prior Spanish experience.

Overall our experience has been great. The teachers truly go the extra mile for all the students, regardless of whether they are behind or advanced. Most of the kids in my child's class are right on grade level and there is also an advanced reading group. My child has loved all of the teachers and also loves the family events. We are so excited and proud to be part of a school that is improving.

Where do I begin??? Mrs. Garris and Ms. Moten are absolutely EVERYTHING. They are patient, consistent, and always willing to help. I had 3 children attend this school over multiple school years. Ms. Cummings and Ms. Murcia are BOMB DOT COM. My daughter is a picky eater and by the end of the year, Ms. Cummings had her eating fruits and veggies that she wouldn't even LOOK AT before the school year started. Ms. Murcia is the GOAT of field trips. My son was on a trip (it seemed like) every month. They did projects and always had homework. I'm not sure if Ms. Murcia is still there, but she is awesome. Family engagement is actually upheld at Harmony. I must say I haven't had a school experience like Harmony before, and haven't had since we left. The ONLY reason we are not there anymore is because we moved to Maryland. I would absolutely recommend this school for grades PreK3-2nd as those are the only grades I experienced with my kids. I'm not sure how the higher grades are, but Harmony absolutely SPOILED our family with their care and attention to our needs. Secondary shoutout to Mr. Culha for always being a great listener to my concerns, and following up to make sure that the issues were resolved.